The present invention relates to voice, multi-media, video and data services which span and interwork across an intelligent (e.g., ISDN, IN, Internet) network. The network can span the public network (e.g., CSIG at C reference point), private networks (e.g., QSIG at Q reference point), and interwork between public and private networks. This invention is applicable to ISO/ECMA QSIG compliant ISDN Private Integrated Services network (PISN) Inter-Exchange Signalling Protocolxe2x80x94Private User Mobility (PUM) Registration Supplementary Service and Call Handling Additional Network Features.
Private User Mobility (PUM) functionality has been implemented previously by vendors in a single system/server where users may re-locate anywhere within the same system/server. Implementations may provide a means to change the PIN value during an active call within a single system/server, but not across a network.
The ISO/ECMA PISN PUM draft standards:
ISO/IEC 17875 PISNxe2x80x94Specification, functional model and information flowsxe2x80x94Private user mobility (PUM)xe2x80x94Registration service (ECMA 281),
ISO/IEC 17876 PISNxe2x80x94Inter-exchange signalling protocolxe2x80x94Private User Mobility (PUM)xe2x80x94Registration supplementary service (ECMA 282),
ISO/IEC DIS 17877 PISNxe2x80x94Specification, Functional Model and Information Flowsxe2x80x94Private user mobility (PUM)xe2x80x94Call handling additional network features (ECMA 283)
ISO/IEC DIS 17878 PISNxe2x80x94Inter-exchange signalling protocolxe2x80x94Private user mobility (PUM)xe2x80x94Call handling additional network features (ECMA 284)
provide network signalling for a mobile user, including registration, activation/deactivation, interrogation, and call handling (e.g., diverting an incoming call from the home PINX to the PINX where the PUM user is located). PIN is only included in the standards registration, deregistration and interrogation signalling. Update procedures and signalling mechanisms do not currently exist for changing the PIN during an active call. Thus, there is a need for such update and signalling mechanisms that do not exist in the draft standards as listed above.
Additionally, PUM has been implemented previously by vendors in a single system where users may re-locate anywhere within the same system. This system feature does not require a PUM number or AI since the visitor device and PUM user/HDM is still within the local system which performs PUM registration, de-registration, and other PUM-related services based on a user""s PIN.
The ISO/ECMA PISN PUM draft standards, as noted above, provide an alternate means for network PUM registration where the user enters an alternative identifier rather than the PUM number. This adds an additional level of validation checking for registration. However, the mechanism to translate the alternative identifier to an address that can handle the particular user registration is not defined. Because the draft standard has not been approved as of this writing, no known vendor has implemented the alternative identifier translator. Thus, there is a need to provide a mechanism to translate the alternative identifier as discussed.
This invention describes update mechanisms comprised of signalling and a service elements to change a PIN value associated with an active call. It describes a procedure associated with the update mechanism which can be implemented as an additional procedure to the QSIG Private User Mobility (PUM) supplementary services. This invention is not limited to a QSIG private network, rather, it could apply to a QSIG at the public network reference point C (i.e., CSIG), TCP/IP, CSTA protocols, etc.
Specifically, in one embodiment, an update procedure:
uses existing PUM registration to validate/authenticate the new/modified PIN entered by a PUM user,
provides out-of-band/D-channel signalling for changing a PIN value during active call state,
update procedure with service elements including (but not limited to) change type and
the new PIN value, and
matching call detail recording by PIN value (optionally) at each PINX in the call path as a result of honoring the Update procedure. Optionally, the CDR update procedure may be ignored at other systems/servers that receive the PUM-Update invocation request.
Following call clearing, the PUM user""s session at the Visited PINX may optionally revert back to the originally registered PIN value (stored), or, may continue the PUM user""s session using the last entered PIN value, for example, based on an administrative parameter(s) or fixed as an implementor""s choice.
In another aspect of the present invention, a mechanism (xe2x80x9cPP-AITxe2x80x9d-PISN/PUM Alternative Identifier Translator) to translate the alternative identifier to an address that can handle the particular user registration is disclosed.
The PP-AIT includes a software translator mechanism with various implementation options, for mapping an alternative identifier to a translated number representing the Home PINX of the particular PUM user and returning either a rejected result or accepted result with the Home PINX address which is used for subsequent registration, de-registration and other processes (e.g., interrogation). PP-AIT optionally facilitates the registration process on behalf of the requesting PINX (i.e., Visitor PINX) effectively performing both first and second level security validations and returning either a rejected result or accepted result with the PUM number. This control of the signalling is beyond what the standards have identified but is significant since it circumvents the signalling of the Enquiry (i.e., PISN-ENQ) information flow but is still ISO/ECMA compliant signalling.
Specifically, PP-AIT has the following capability:
1. The Alternative Identifier can be translated to a network routable address that can register the particular PUM user and provide subsequent services such as redirecting this user""s incoming calls to the visited remote location. This invention provides a detail description of the translation process to the appropriate network routable address for this PUM user. It also enhances the function whereby PUM registration permission is optionally based on day of year, time of day.
2. The standards bodies have allocated the translation mechanism to a Directory PINX only. This invention allows for the translation mechanism to be located anywhere in the network, in multiple PINXs and even outside the presence of a directory PINX.
3. As an implementation option, this invention provides an alternative way to circumvent and reduce the ISO/ECMA defined signalling (i.e., without changing the signalling, only eliminating potentially unnecessary signalling reducing overall network traffic on the D-channel), transparent to the network. The signalling is ISO/ECMA compliant and therefore compatible with any other ISO/ECMA compliant vendor""s product.
4. Using an Alternative Identifier rather than the user""s address/identity is more secure since it adds an additional level of security validation. ISO/ECMA indicates the AI length is up to 20 characters. This invention provides a means to reduce the AI digit length significantly without decreasing security, thereby making registration faster due to fewer digits needed for the user to enter.
5. ISO/ECMA QSIG PUM standards require the alternative identifier uniquely identify the PUM user. The US market requires 64,000-100,000 PUM users per PINX. US market networks range in size from 2 to hundreds of PINXs. This potential high number of unique AIs network-wide can result in high overhead processing of a very large translation table. In accordance with this invention, the alternative identifier value need not be unique which reduces the overall number of AIs that need to be assigned and managed and significantly increases processing time of the translation table.